Breech-loading ordnance.



- No. 735,934. PATENTE'D'AUG. 11, 1903.

W. H. BEVANS. BREEGH LOADING O-RDNANGB.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1902, RENEWED JUNE 11, 1903.

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WLHJ'BEVANS. y BREEGH LOADING ORDNANGE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4; 1902.RENEWED JUNE 11, 1903.

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. TED- I STA'rns PATENT OFFICE.

i 'atented August II,

WILLIAM H. 'BEVANS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TOAMERICAN AND BRITISH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

A BRE EGH LO ADlNC t ORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming parto f Letters Patent No.735,934,dated August 11,1903.

Application filed June 4, 1902. Renewed June 11, 1903. Sensible-161,088.(No model.) I

To all whom it may concave;

Be it known that L'WILLIAM H.-'BEvANs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wash I ington, in the District of Columbia, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Breech Loading Ordnancefand I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to breech-loading ordnance; and the object'is toprovide in a semi-automatic or full-automatic gun improved means forholding the block in its :5 open position against the action orinfluence of the mechanism for moving theblock to itsv closedposition,said means beingso construct-j ed and arranged as to positivelylock the block when the'latter has been moved a sufficient :0 distanceto unmask the bore ofthe gun and to automatically release the block uponthe insertion of afresh cartridge.

With the above' object in 'view the invention consists in the novelfeatures of construcz 5 tion hereinafter fully described, particularlypointed out in the claims, and clearly illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings, in which I Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a por 0 tion ofthe gun-breech, showing the position of the parts when the blocks islocked inits open position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a gun providedwith my invention. Fig. 3

is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, the parts being shown in theirnormal positions; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the invention with the several partsthereof detached.

I have here illustrated and described my present invention in connectionwith my im- 0 proved semi-automatic gun; patentedto me May 7, 1901, No.573,534; but it will be understood that the invention may beusedwherever it is necessary ft'o provide means for holding thebreechblock of a gun in its open position 5 against theaction of anymechanism for antomatically moving the block to its closed positionuntil the gun has been again loaded.

In the drawings, 1 designates the recoiling gun 2, the recoil-mount,upon which it is mounted; 3, the block, which is of the dropoutWardIyfaced hook 11.

block-3 type, and 4 the breech-closing means, in this instance aspring',"against the tension of which the block is held in its openposition by my present invention. The block is formed with a cam-groove5 to' rec'eivethe lug of the form of extractor now used'in gunsprovidedwith this type of block. j I

In carrying out my invention I provide a two-part extractor, one member6 of which is of such cross-sectional form as to fit and slide in V theusual extractorgroove of the gunbreech. This member is formed on oneface with a lug 7, engaging in the groove 5 of the block, and on itsopposite face is provided with a longitudinal channel or groove 8,extending from end to end thereof to receive the other member 9 of theextractor. This member 9 is pivoted at its forward end to member 6 andat said forward end is formed with the usual inwardly-extending hook 10for the purpose of engaging and removing the empty cartridge-case fromthe gun. Said member 9 projects at its opposite end beyond the end ofmember 6 and is formed with an A flat spring 12, secured to member 6 andpressing against member 9, serves to normally force the hooked .end 11thereof outwardly toward the wall of thebreech-housing.

In operation when the block is moved to open the breechpf the gun thecam-groove thereof coacting with the lug 7 of the extractor serves tomove the extractor rearwardly, causing its hook 10 to throw out theempty cartridge-case. This movement of the block places the spring 4under tension, and this spring would act to immediately move the blockto close the breech were not some provision made for retaining thelatter in its open position. In the present invention when the block hasbeen moved a sufficient distanceto unmask the bore of the gun and hasoperated the extractor to extract the cartridge-case the extractor willhave moved rearwardly a sulficient distance to bring its hooked endllbeyond the rear wall of the gun-breech. The spring12 then acts toswing member 9 on its pivot, bringing the hook 11 in such position as toengage the rear wall of the gun-breech, thus holding the extractor fromany forward movement, and consequently preventing up ward movement ofthe block to close the breech. Upon the insertion of a fresh cartridgethe rim of the cartridge engages the hook 10 at the forward end of theextractor and swings member 9 on its pivot, disengaging hook 11 from thewall of the gun-breech and releasing the extractor, and consequently theblock, so that spring 4 may act to move the latter to its closedposition.

My improvement above described is simple in construction, positive andreliable in its operation, and byits use avoids the necessity ofaltering the block in any way or doing any work whatever thereon, therebeing no notches cut therein, as in the construction shown and describedin my patent of May 7, 1901, hereinbefore mentioned.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is- 5 1. Thecombination in a gun having means for automatically returning the blockto its closed position, with the block and closing means, of anextractor comprising a member adapted to be actuated by the movement ofthe block, and a rocking member carried thereby having an engagingportion on one side of its pivot and an extracting portion on theopposite side thereof, and means independent of the extractor adapted tocoact with the engaging end thereof when the block has been moved to itsopen position for holding the block in this position against the actionof the block-closing means until a fresh cartridge has been inserted,substantially as described.

2. The combination in a gun having means for automatically returning theblock to its closed position, with the block and closing means, of anextractor comprising a member adapted to be actuated by the movement ofthe block, and a rocking member carried thereby having an engagingportion on one side of its pivot and an extracting portion on theopposite side thereof, means independent of the extractor adaptedtocoact with the engaging end thereof when the block has been moved to itsopen position for holding the block in this position against the actionof the breech-closing means until a fresh cartridge has been inserted,and means for holding said rocking member in position to coact with saidindependent holding means, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a gun having means for automatically returning theblock to its closed position, with the block and closing means, of anextractor comprising a member adapted to be actuated by the movement ofthe block, and a rocking member carried thereby having an engagingportion on one side of its pivot and an extracting portion on theopposite side thereof, means independent of the extractor adapted tocoact with the engaging end thereof when the block has been moved to itsopen position for holding the block in this position against the actionof the breech-closing means until a fresh cartridge has been insertedand a spring for holding said engaging portion of the extractor inposition to coact with said means, substantially as described.

4. An extractor for breech-loading ordnance of the character described,comprising a member adapted to be actuated by the movement of the block,a rocking member carried thereby having an extracting portion on oneside. of its pivot and an engaging portion on the opposite side thereofadapted to engage the gun-breech, and means normally holding saidengaging portion of the rocking member in position to engage saidgun-breech when the block has been moved to open position, substantiallyas described.

5. The combination in agun having means for automatically returning theblock to its closed position, with the block and closing means, of anextractor comprising a member adapted to be actuated by the movement ofthe block, and a rocking member pivotally mounted on said member andprovided on its forward end with an inwardly-extending extracting-hookand on its opposite end with an oppositely-disposed engaging hook, andmeans independent of the extractor adapted to be engaged by saidengaging hook when the block has been moved to open position,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination in a gun having means for automatically returning theblock to its closed position, with the block and closing means, of anextractor comprising a sliding member adapted to be actuated by themovement of the block, and a rocking member pivoted at the forward endofsaid sliding memher and formed with an extracting-hook on its forwardend and an engaging portion on its opposite end, means independent ofthe extractor adapted to coact with said engaging portion for holdingthe extractor from forward movement when the block has been moved to itsopen position, and a spring for holding said engaging portion inposition to coact with said means when the extractor has been movedrearwardly, substantially as described. I

7 A sliding extractor for breech-loading ordnance of the classdescribed, comprising two members, one of which is mounted to rock onthe other and formed with an extracting portion on one side of its pivotand an engaging portion on the other side thereof, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination in agun having means for automatically returning theblock to its closed position, with the block and closing means, of anextractor comprising a sliding member actuated by the block, meansindependent of the extractor adapted to hold the latter in its rearwardposition, and a rocking extracting membercarried by said. sliding memberadapted to release the extractor from said holding means when rocked inone direction upon its pivot, substantially as described.

9. The combination in a gun having means for automatically returning theblock to its closed position, with the block and closing means, of anextractor comprising a sliding member actuated by the block, an engagingmember carried thereby, means independent means, of an extractorcomprising a sliding member actuated by the block, an engaging membercarried thereby, means independent of the extractor adapted to coactwith said engaging member to hold the extractor in its rearwardposition, a rocking extracting mem-. ber carried by said sliding memberadapted to actuate said engaging member to release the extractor whenrocked by the insertion of a freshcartridge, and means for normallyholding said engaging member in position to coact with said independentholding means, substantially as described.

11. The combination in agun having means for automatically returning theblock to its closed position, with the block and closing means, of anextractor comprising a sliding member actuated by the block, engagingmeans carried by the sliding member adapted to engage the gun-breechwhen the extractor has been moved rearwardly, a spring normally holdingsaid engaging means in position to engage the gun-breech, and a rockingextracting member carried by the extractor adapted to disengage saidengaging means from the gunbreech when rocked upon its pivot by theinsertion of a fresh cartridge, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

W. H. BEVANS.

Witnesses:

G. W. SHERIDAN, L. E. BRADSTREET.

